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No not exactly. What Verizon is unlocking for is use of local SIM cards while traveling abroad. You wont be able to use a ST sim after Verizon unlocks the iPhone. This is different than the jailbreak and unlocking method (GEVEY sim) which would let you use a ST sim. Unlocking through Verizon is permanent and would not affect your warranty.

No not exactly. What Verizon is unlocking for is use of local SIM cards while traveling abroad. You wont be able to use a ST sim after Verizon unlocks the iPhone. This is different than the jailbreak and unlocking method (GEVEY sim) which would let you use a ST sim. Unlocking through Verizon is permanent and would not affect your warranty.

I don't understand how they could unlock it for Sim cards but not American sims... that is very strange...

I obviously don't want to buy something without being able to test it... do you think it would be worth the extra $100?

I can test the iPhone 4 and $250 sounds fair since the iPhone 4 is a month old with the factory screen protector still on it...

I don't understand how they could unlock it for Sim cards but not American sims... that is very strange...

I obviously don't want to buy something without being able to test it... do you think it would be worth the extra $100?

I can test the iPhone 4 and $250 sounds fair since the iPhone 4 is a month old with the factory screen protector still on it...

The iphone 4S is 6 months old and a bit dinged...

It works that way because there is a gps-related lock that prevents it from using the sim slot if you are in the US. Go overseas, and it will work just fine. As mentioned, there is a way using a Gevey sim to unlock the phone to use a sim in the
US. However, it is a type of jailbreak, and you'll have to wait until a jailbreak becomes available after each iOS release. If that doesn't matter to you, then you can go for it.

As far as the 4S being worth $100 more, I would say if they were both AT&T models, I think it would be just for
Siri and the other features that the 4S has. However, you aren't looking just at $100, because you will have to buy a Gevey sim, and if the condition is that much worse than the 4, then I would probably stick with the 4.

i ended buying a used bad ESN Sprint iPhone 4s from my friend. Sprint wouldn't unlock the phone as they don't want anything to do with it till the bill was paid. Paid $25 for the Gevey Ultra S Sim Card on eBay, bought ST AT&T compatible SIM, jailbreak the 4S.. was in business. I'm getting 3G perfectly fine on ST with the AT&T sim. Since the 5.1.1 update, it's showing 4G symbol instead of the 3G. I can confirmed the sprint iphone 4S works perfectly fine, and does have the GSM 3G frequency, should be the same with the Verizon 4S.

I did however have trouble setting up the APN to att.mvno as it was using the live.vodafone, just ended up resetting the Network Settings on the iphone and entering the att.mvno ... i did give http://unlockit.co.nz/ a try, but Gevey sim kept on rebooting.

I can confirm that it's possible to use a CDMA iPhone with an AT&T st sim, was doing it myself. it works, and pretty well, too...but I wound up replacing it with a dedicated AT&T iPhone and am overall much happier.

Things I noticed with my experience: while it works, it isn't as stable as a native GSM phone would be, in that every time you reboot the phone, and sometimes even while the phone is already on, the signal will drop out and you have to wait for gevey to do its thing and the 'your device is unlocked' screen to pop up. Not a huge deal, but you notice it...also, if you're planning on using your new iPhone for a while (as in not immediately getting the 'new' iphone when it comes out) then it makes sense to use a regular GSM phone...because with the CDMA gevey ultra s unlock, you MUST be jailbroken, so when ios 6 drops, you won't be able to update with your CDMA unlocked phone until a) the new os is jailbroken; and b) gevey releases an unlock for it (which will likely require you to buy a new gevey sim).

I took a hit in switching from CDMA to GSM, went from a 64gb to a 32gb. But IMO it was worth it to me for the peace of mind of not having to rely on JB/gevey to use the phone.

Oh - and along the same lines, in terms of future proofing yourself if you intend to use this phone for a while, I would recommend getting a 4s if you can. Don't let the similar exterior fool you, it's a MUCH more capable device and will take you further than the 4 will.

Take ios 6 for example, if I'm not mistaken the 4 will not be getting all features, i.e. Apple Maps...while the 4s will have the fully functional os, same as a new iPhone.

...of course, if this is just to tie you over until the new one comes out, then these are all pretty much moot points (other than the 4s also has a much better camera and will have better resale).

It works that way because there is a gps-related lock that prevents it from using the sim slot if you are in the US.

It is not GPS related in the least. SIM cards have mobile network codes (MNC) embedded in them. A SIM card issued by a US carrier will have 310-xxx. The phones are programmed to reject SIM cards with the United States specific code. All other MNC's are allowed. One can put a foreign SIM card in an unlocked Verizon iPhone and it will roam on AT&T or T-mobile just fine -- just depends if the foreign SIM is provisioned to allow roaming and which carrier the foreign carrier is contracted for roaming on.

It is not GPS related in the least. SIM cards have mobile network codes (MNC) embedded in them. A SIM card issued by a US carrier will have 310-xxx. The phones are programmed to reject SIM cards with the United States specific code. All other MNC's are allowed. One can put a foreign SIM card in an unlocked Verizon iPhone and it will roam on AT&T or T-mobile just fine -- just depends if the foreign SIM is provisioned to allow roaming and which carrier the foreign carrier is contracted for roaming on.

I stand corrected. Thanks. I had always read that it was related to location based in US, and didn't realize it was MNC rather than GPS (had even read the GPS at least once). This is one reason I love HOFO, I'm always learning something new.